Dancing toy



Feb. 6, 1945. w, CLARK 2,368,805

DANCING TOY Filed Nov. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .ATTORNEYS Feb. 6, 1945. lQ W CLARK 2,368,80

DANCING TOY Filed Nov. 4, 1941v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 6, 1945 charlesw: Clark, Brooklyn.' Y:

ApplieationeNoircmber 4, 1941; Serial No. 417,755

` @claims (o1. 2v2-131)? Thepresent-Y invention relates=t=a toy of the type in which. one:v orfmoreminiaturel `figures J are supported and operated' to.- perform dancing movements-.1.

Among thenobjectsmf:` the present invention-.isto provide aV toxin-which: a'jplurality@ of-:minature figures, arranged: as; dancing 1 couplesg.. aref: sup ported and operatedgto perform smooth;..gra'ceful, gliding dance movementsf.iwazcircleion .aminiae ture stage Without.,A the stiltness:V generally et+ tending :mechanicalitoy increments; in; which'lthe dancingv gures: aretoperated'n'fsuch relationship to` the turntable of: a phonograph?. as' to perform dancingjmovements in rhythms.with..the:` music played by the phonograph; andpirrrwhichatlre iig:- ures are made to periodically*rreyolverimopposite directions finsimulatioir iotesuch mound. dances :as Waltzes,V polkas, maz'urkasietc; l

Another; object;` is. to.: provide a.; dancing:- toy Whichcan easily; be;v made@ part of z a.: coirrl con'.. trolled music fbox,-.to Asupplement@the entertaim ment afforded bygthe music@ Another; object.' iss; to providez an dancing toy which .is entertaining.; .andasimplefbutmeverthee less durable .in constructiom; and lwhich. lendsnit-f self to inexpensivevmanufacturea. 1

Various other objects, features and.` advantages of ,theinventiorrwilt befapparent from the following` partcula-r.;-descrption;v and fromv an inspectionof the;` accompanying; drawings.v in

whichV Fig. 1 .is a `perspectivev somewhat in :front :ele-'.-l

vation of a dancingtoyt-fassembly; embodying. the present invention.; c p f y Fig.A 2 is a section .takenfonlinei--Z of Fig;,1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectionofwarpartpof the sus pension. means for thedancingi-gures In thefspecific form illustrated zin .theV drawings,l there is provided'. an. enclosuresl 0', decorated in simulation. of va miniatureballroomV stageland provided with. atop .wal1'l.or.ceiling,. I I',A V a dance floor I2, arear Wall- I3,`i andfa .pair..of :side walls I4; Thefrontlfof .the stagemay' be .open .or may be providedwithla transparent' glass panel to' permit. visual'inspectionv oftheinterior of (said enclosure. `Mounted in the'. enclosure I0` near the'ceiling` II is' a rotatable'gurersupporting member I6, desirably intthe' formwofma crosse member having arms-- IT" 'extending"radiallyfr`orn a'hub I8to Whicl'ris` securedfa-vertical shaft 2U drivenV in a' marmer-v -to "bedescribed Suspended fromA the outerfen'ds offeach ofthe@ arms `I I lisa pair of.miniaturelguresz:arrangedias acou'ple inrballrooxn. dancing,y pose; Y In?y thef. form r shown, each -f of: the :suspension-means includes l a pair of flexiblestrn'gs ori' threads*v 2-3' connected* atll their lowerrendsf .atl spacedfpointson'- each "couple and converging-:upwardly towards 'eik-not 24- bywhich" the: two. strings-23: are? connected together.` The two strings 23 then extend upwardlyin vfjlrxtapoesitionf over al hookor. through Lan eyelet 25 secured? .torainarm I'Igeand lthen :horizontally Ato ann Tlnez-1stsringsfzfJ aretdesirably' very thinf;4 and` may bef: of 1 transparent material: or bei colored bla-cls' torend-er'them.almostfinvisible.:

Aacurtainis;- desirablycprovid'edl -at-the 'front otrth'ezenc-losuref I 0'. to more realistically. simulate a stage and to concealf th'ef' figure. supporting memflo'erv f I6.rr IfI desired; ,instead-f of` al curtain as slownta simple `valance#orrcornicermay be 'en'i-l played; overfthell top off the'. front sta'geu openingl tocon'ceal said member .1163".

Thewfigureshnfclear theffloorIZrso'f that they are freely suspended from the supporting-niember I6, ,but are' closefenoughto' :sai'droorf to' give ther impression otr beingcsupported'iby'- iti Aslther about the' lst-aged Il 'along' a-Jcircularpath' and'fwil'l' appear be:glidirlgf.iin` simulation fof* dancing@ In. order toerenderf th'edancing': movement-of the'vigures 22 .i morefrealistic; .there iisl'y provided avI member whichA intermittently-imparts" 'rotation e toz'the iigures. .Thisvis'fshown'l'aslafprongfinthe form-fof;athnresilient wireftrig'idly:fastened at ione'endlztoionefof. .thecwallsrof- 'the vferfclmsur'e It; as for. instance at; the intersection of the rear wa11-.',-I'3 'iandloner` ofwthe sidewalls IIII,j andfhaving its' Lothen end; :section Ein" .the pathflof I movement ofnthe-.gures'fntasftheyzmove in' ai circle :about theriaxis'fofl thesupporting-member I 6? Thisfwire 3f8l'1isf desirably black-f or Tof suchf 'other' co1o'r"-`a's tolslreduceuitsf: visibilityffandi renderfit so inconfspicuousr,tI-,hatv` iff-".Will` :not .be Inoticd= 'by the"l obl server offthe-dancingguresil As the dancing couples .arerimovdvia--circle aroundvtheY stage; :they -fsuccessi'velyicontact 'the wirewfrsras shownuainlFigu, .and-flare@revolved thereby aroundtheirownfverticaliaxis;r This re-2. volving a action@ r results front Lthef: ffricti'on'al-I-l en; gagement .-betxvvsenrv theysawire"x 3 and th figures-122 asmhey movealorigzthe wire-.e A1so`;:as each vdancingrco-uplcf'n isf-moved intfengagement withI the position causes." "smmfreed@engage said cour each couple 22 is revolved by the action of the wire 30, the two converging sections of each pair of strings 23 supporting said couple are twisted together. ple due to this wire has been spent, which is preferably yWhen the couple has moved-about1 half-way around the stage, these string sections start unwinding and thereby revolve the couple 2,368,805 1-`fff ures 22 are movedin a circular path by the ro- When the revolving action of the couin the opposite direction while moving over the.' y other half of the path around the stage, thereby rendering their dancing movement more realistic. may be employed at spaced points stage if desired. i f

It should be noted that the gules 22 With their pendent support perform their dance movements with-smoothness and gracefulness, and' without the rigidity usually attending the'. movements of mechanical toys. Also, since the revolving'movement of the vfigures in vboth directions is not exactly predetermined but is some-,- what irregular', this adds to the realism of their dancing movements. f

The rear wall'l3 and the side walls l 4 are de; sirably provided on their inner sides with mirrors 3|, andthe side walls I4 desirably` converge towards .said rear wall, so that the reflection of the gures in the mirrors 3| Vasviewed from the front of the stageY I0 in conjunction with the direct view of the figures will give thev impressionv of'a comparatively large 'number couples as indicated in Fig. 1;

The supporting member I6 by which the figures 22 are moved about the stage I0 is desirably of dancing driven from a phonograph mechanism, so that Two or more such couple rotating devices- ,-k'

3110131@ th,e

tating action of the member I6 in synchronism with the speed of the turntable 34, so thatthe gures will appear to be dancing in rhythm with the music being played.

The speed of rotation of the cross member I6 depends on the diameter of the dancing circle of the figures 22, and to the type of music being played. `For instance, assuming that the music played on the phonograph is'iny waltz time, and assuming that the speed of the phonograph record is approximately '78 revolutions per minute, then ,ifgthe diameter of the dancing circle is 15 inches,

`l." ,have found that a speed of 4 revolutions per minute for the member I6 will be realistically effective.

" easily'beadapted for use in a, coin controlled machine, and the phonographic mechanism may be adapted to4 rest for reproducing action. This.

turntable 34 is driven from anelectric motor.38 through a friction drive, which includes a friction wheel 4B engaging the peripheral fiange of the turntable 34, and has its speed regulated by the usual governor M.V A loud speaker or amplifier 42 may be mounted to project the .reproduced phonograph music through the front ofthe housing .33. The curtain 28 maybe made to extend close to the top of the housing 33 to conceal the interior of said housing, and the loud speaker 42 may be positioned directly inv back of the upper section of said curtain.

For driving the crossv member lli from the phonograph motor, thereis provided a reduction gear48. i By means of Ythis construction the lig-j of the record-changing selector type.

ballroom l0 maybe varied in intensity and color as the music"y Yis being played, to simulate. the shadow and varicolored.' lightingi'sometimes employed in ballroomsf ,This lighting effectmay be obtained in any suitablefmannenf f AAs many changes as idesired could be'made in the above toy; and many widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from-the scope -of the claims, itis'intendedthat all matter contained inthe above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative andlnot inalimitingsense. i` m' W Whatis claimed isf 1. A toy comprising a miniature ligure arrangedy in dancing pose, a flexibleV string for-pende'ntlyy l said gure and revolve-lit about! its'supportin'g string as it moves past said member.` I

2. A' toy comprising. a-pair of miniaturegures arranged asv a couplek in dancing pose, aiiexible string for pendentlysuppor-ting said fgures,-a platform simulating a dancingfioor forsaid iigures spaced below and out of contact with said figures, means for rotating said supporting means to cause movement of said figures in acircle over said platform in simulation. offdancin'g, and a prong infthe pathr'of-move'ment-of said Vfigures adapted to engage said'figures and'revolve them about their supportingstring asvan axis as they move pastsaid-prong Y -If 3. A toycompri'singfa plurality I:ofl spaced iigures arranged inI dancing pose, vfor 'pefrgidfV ently and flexibly supportingjsaid gures, afplat form simulating, va. dancing oor for, saidV gures, means 4Vfor rotating saidsupporting lmeans to causesaid figures lto' move in a circlefover said platform in simulation of dancing, and a resilient wire arrangedin the path'iof movement of vsaid figures land 'adapted to 'revolve said figures l as they move past said wirein 'their circular movement ,over said platform. 4. A toy comprising n Aenclosure in simulation at the same time, and a prong in the path of movement of said couples adapted to revolve said couples in one direction as they move past said prong in their circular movement, and said figures being free to rotate in the opposite Ydirection'l when out of contact with said prong.

CHARLES W. CLARK. 

